That Doesn't Count
by Crystal Crest
Summary: And here she thought he could not be anymore pristine and exact, it was what she had requested after all...ONESHOT.


**That Doesn't Count**

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**A/N: Hope you all enjoy, it was originally written as an example for my new livejournal community I B 4 Y, but one thing led to another, and I got this. LOL was the prompt. Hope you enjoy!

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She had known him to be the type to give the word _impassive_, its meaning. He rarely showed emotion, anger being among the very few expressed, which were done so all the less.

He thought and often preached, how doing so was but a weakness, and could tell ones enemy more than words could ever confess. Her hanyou's brother even admonished himself for showing what little emotion he did, an action she thought, if anything else, to be utterly ridiculous, and thus believed him to be a man who could not show emotion of a positive nature.

That was, until she saw him smirk.

She had never seen him show any traces of such since they began traveling together as a group, joining forces for one cause that seemed to hold little interest to her during their current days of order and peace.

Yes, Kagome's interest resided elsewhere, and she was determined to up the ante and bring about a smile, a glance of amusement, hell, even possibly another sardonic smirk at Inuyasha's expense-if not to serve as a way to occupy her time, then for his own benefit.

She liked to think he often knew what was best for their group, but not so regarding this matter...she did not believe in his philosophy

So she found it convenient when Miroku, Inuyasha, and Sango went into a human settlement for a job on which they were called for, and decided to use the opportunity to discover if the Demon Lord was truly made of ice alone...

She later found herself glaring at his person, as he managed to insult her indirectly by ignoring her inquiries. She glanced over at Shippo and Rin, as they slept under the watchful eyes of the dark sky,

"You do know it doesn't hurt to smile, right? Your face won't fall apart or anything. Granted it might hurt a little, considering it's been decades since you've probably done so."

Kagome watched as Sesshomaru glanced in her direction, his profile exceedingly more prominent under the light exuding from the fire against the blackness of the night. She knew this to be the first sign of acknowledgment since she placed herself before him, his back guarding the tree under which he sat, "Are you to bother this one with your inconsequential talk of emotion."

"Yes, and it's not meaningless."

Sesshomaru's eyes bore onto her, leaving not a trace of his inner thoughts, much to her dismay. He then attempted to turn his face away once more, hoping to ignore her as Kagome could only assume, until her body acted on its own accord.

She soon found her hands upon the demon lord's face, holding the sides-her hand brushing past strands of silver, preventing him from further movement.

To say she was merely surprised would be an inane understatement, she was terrified, stricken with grief at the thought of what would be done to her for touching him.

She timidly watched, as his eyes found hers, gold orbs that translated little directly, for it was its size that told a tale.

They were slightly larger than she would often find them, and she procured some strength in seeing his mask failing him, no matter how small, for it told her one thing...

The demon before her was surprised, if not stunned-and she liked to think herself lucky to be among the hapless few able to accomplish such a feat. Kagome knew she would not befall the same fate as those who accomplished catching Sesshomaru off guard and suffer for the imposing act-he still needed her to purify the shikon jewel, once all was said and done.

She could only hope to be among the only two individuals she could recall to ever survive such an undertaking, both of which being hanyous he often despised and considered weak.

"You have yet to remove your hands from my person," he stated, far too calmly for her liking considering their situation.

Kagome spared a small smile, knowing no harm would come to her, but did not seek to offend, "Well, I've always been a bit reckless, so I suppose I don't know any better."

He merely stared at her, her words brooding over in his mind. His silver brows then lowered slightly, not enough to be considered a frown, but enough so to impart she had captured his attention. "What is it that you want from this one miko?"

She blinked, at the simplicity of his question, knowing the answer, yet not fully capable of putting it in words.

"I..." she started, her smile widening upon confidence, "I want a smile, a look of amusement, for you to laugh out loud, _something_ that shows you're not a block of ice never to be...thawed!"

Kagome did not know when her hands returned back to her sides, but was thankful all the same, as she recalled feeling sweat forming uncomfortably under her palms. She waited as he held her in possible disdain, his head slightly raising at her request. Or was he to actually concede? That she was not sure of. She frowned as she removed herself from her thoughts, barely catching the loud sound that escaped his lips, despite her unconscious attention to them.

Her eyes widened, "I'm sorry, come again?"

Sesshomaru merely turned, "This one does not repeat himself miko. I suggest you find yourself suitable, for within a few moments the hanyou shall reach us."

Kagome stilled but soon nodded, and abruptly stood upon shaky legs, giving him her back as she walked over to the sleeping children. She knew Inuyasha would not take kindly to her being within arms reach of his brother, when he had left her at the side of both Rin and Shippo.

Kagome's arms slightly shook as she tried to still them upon sitting across the clearing they occupied, her eyes wandering over to Sesshomaru who merely watched her from afar.

She stared back in disbelief.

Kagome did not want to trust what her ears caught and brain processed as impossible.

The Demon lord of the West, had let pass through his lips something she never thought she would hear escape him...

He let out a fairly audible..._ha..._

Sesshomaru had laughed out loud in the only way he thought would appease her and put an end to her spouting, yet not giving her fully what she had requested.

But she was not entirely sure if she had heard correctly, as it seemed unlikely to have even occurred, and unlikely to have the potential of being deemed possible.

But she knew it had been done.

She could not help but feel that she had stepped onto unreached territory, and had started a game she could not finish or escape unscathed. He was cunning, and she could not ask of more concerning the subject-he had given her what she asked, just not in the form she would have desired.

And that, he knew.

Kagome's thoughts were spared as she caught sight of her friends through the foliage of the surrounding trees, a frown marring Inuyasha's face as he entered their make-shift camp, no doubt from the human villagers...

Nonetheless, if she were not so focused on her hanyou's frown, she would have caught the rare smile that had graced the taiyoukai's lips.

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A/N: Please review!


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